Abrams ComicArts has announced its Fall 2026 graphic novel season, a slate that spans political history, civil rights nonfiction, literary adaptations, pop culture, comic strips, and manga. Together, the lineup reflects both the breadth of the publisher’s program and the range of what comics can accomplish as a medium.
One of the most timely releases is The Dissidents, a new graphic novel by Derf Backderf, his first since the award-winning Kent State. Set during World War I, the book follows cartoonists, journalists, and activists targeted by the federal government under the Espionage Act as dissent is criminalized and fear becomes a political weapon. The parallels to the present are unmistakable, with themes of surveillance, propaganda, attacks on the press, and the erosion of civil liberties giving the story a sharp contemporary resonance.
That sense of urgency continues in Framing Emmett Till: Exposing Dark Fear, a nonfiction graphic novel written by Christopher Benson and illustrated by Eric Battle. The book examines the murder of Emmett Till through the enduring legacy of his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, focusing on the power of images, testimony, and public memory. Rather than serving as a historical document alone, the book speaks directly to ongoing debates around racial violence, truth, and whose stories are allowed to be told.
Leading the season is a new Marvel Arts release, Marvel Dimensions, an original graphic novel written and illustrated by Alex Ross. Described as the most ambitious and intricate graphic novel Ross has ever created, the book is built around the physical design of the object itself. Moving across multiple realities, the story reframes familiar Marvel characters through scale, perspective, and structure, making form and narrative inseparable.
Literary adaptation remains a cornerstone of the Abrams ComicArts line. Don Quixote, adapted by Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi, brings Miguel de Cervantes’s classic novel into graphic novel form while preserving its humor and melancholy. The Brizzi brothers’ artwork gives the centuries-old story new visual life without losing the spirit that has made it endure. As a huge fan of the original Don Quixote, I’m definitely picking this one up.
The season also highlights the lasting importance of the daily comic strip. MUTTS: Sunday Funnies Volumes 1 and 2 collect Patrick McDonnell’s beloved strips following Mooch the cat and Earl the dog, continuing McDonnell’s decades-long exploration of kindness, responsibility, and compassion toward animals and one another.
Pop culture fans can also look forward to The Simpsons: Cavalcade of Comics, a collection of full-color Sunday comic strips originally syndicated in newspapers in the United States and the United Kingdom. The volume expands the world of Matt Groening’s series, translating its humor and satire into the language of classic newspaper comics.
As Dune continues its return to the screen, Dune Messiah Book 1: A Graphic Novel Adaptation arrives at a moment when the world of Arrakis is once again everywhere. Adapted by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson and illustrated by Michael Shelfer, the graphic novel offers readers a way to remain immersed in the saga alongside the current film and television adaptations.
The Fall 2026 season also includes a major manga slate under the Kana imprint. Before Dawn and the End of the World collects previously untranslated short comics by Inio Asano, offering a rare look at the breadth of his work across different stages of his career.
The manga lineup continues with Jagaaan, Volume 1, by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and artist Kensuke Nishida. Graphic and psychologically intense, the series follows a disaffected police officer whose violent fantasies collide with a citywide outbreak of monstrous transformations. The release marks the beginning of a fourteen-volume series long requested by English-language readers.
“This season is a vivid celebration of everything that drives our passion for comics and manga,” said Joseph Montagne, publisher of Abrams ComicArts. “These graphic novels burst with the limitless creativity of the medium—proving just how much comics can inspire, challenge, and connect us. It’s truly an honor to bring such a dynamic collection of stories together in one remarkable season.”
Check out the full slate along with cover art below!
Fall 2026 Abrams ComicArts and Kana Graphic Novels Include:
Abrams ComicArts | Fall 2026
- The Dissidents by Derf Backderf
- Framing Emmett Till: Exposing Dark Fear by Christopher Benson, illustrated by Eric Battle
- Marvel Dimensions by Alex Ross
- Diana by Nate Powell
- MUTTS: Sunday Funnies Volume One; Volume Two; and the Boxed Set by Patrick McDonnell
- Lantern Pass by Serge Lehman, illustrated by Frederik Peeters
- Miss Greene’s Secret by Nicolas Antona, illustrated by Nina Jacqmin
- Don Quixote: A Graphic Novel Adaptation adapted and illustrated by Paul Brizzi and Gaëtan Brizzi
- Human Nature Book Two by Darren Aronofsky, illustrated by Martin Morazzo
- The Undertaker Volumes Two and Three by Xavier Dorison, illustrated by Ralph Meyer
- Doctor Strange: Endless Nightmare by Kevin J. Anderson, illustrated by Raúl Allén and Patricia Martín
- Dune Messiah Book 1: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, illustrated by Michael Shelfer
- The Simpsons: Cavalcade of Comics by Matt Groening
- The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Ominous Omnibus Boxed Set by Matt Groening
Kana | Fall 2026
- Before Dawn and the End of the World by Inio Asano
- Jagaaan Volume 1 by Muneyuki Kaneshiro, illustrated by Kensuke Nishida
- Billy Bat Volumes 2 and 3 by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki, illustrated by Naoki Urasawa
- Blades of the Guardians Volumes 3 and 4 by Xu Xianzhe
- Chiisakobee Volumes 2 and 3 by Minetaro Mochizuki
- Cat’s Eye Omnibus Volumes 4 and 5 by Tsukasa Hojo
- City Hunter Omnibus Volumes 4 and 5 by Tsukasa Hojo
- Hideout by Masasumi Kakizaki
- Bye-Bye Beanbag by Takeda Kazuyoshi
- The Gentleman, the Cat, and the Tearoom Volume 1 by Molicross
- How to Draw Chibi by Chiharu Yumenouchi
You must be logged in to post a comment.